STAY

IN THE GAME

BE AN

OFFICIAL

STAY

IN THE GAME

BE AN

OFFICIAL

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association5516 Vern Holmes Drive

Stevens Point, WI 54482

(715) 344-8580 - FAX (715) 344-4241

WIAA website: www.wiaawi.org

In conclusion, let us congratulate

you on your interest in officiating.

Officials play a very significant role

in the success of interscholastic

athletic programs. If you are ready

to accept the challenge and move

into this realm, we welcome you. If

not, perhaps you now have a better

understanding and appreciation of

the official. If you can’t join our

ranks now, perhaps you will be able

to sometime in the near future.

It’s your call to make!

higher rates paid for varsity contests. Some

schools and conferences may also pay you for

your travel expenses in addition to the contest

fee.

What’s the biggest

adjustment I may

need to make?

It is always difficult to go from participating in

sports to being the official whom some people

seem to believe can do no right. It is important to

understand that the basic ingredient of officiating

is that of being a decision maker, and sometimes

people do not like decisions that do not go their

way. Once you clear this hurdle and realize that

people will criticize you because you make

necessary decisions, rather than because you are

a bad person, you are on your way. It is not easy,

but we hope you will give it a try!

Take the first step.

To get started, you just need to

complete a license application.

You can get the application off

the WIAA website or by calling

or emailing us at 715-344-8580

or refs@wiaawi.org. We’re

anxious to hear from you!

Scan this to view the Become An Official page

on the WIAA website on your smartphone or tablet.

Welcome to

Sports Officiating

The WIAA welcomes your interest in officiating.

We have attempted to answer some of the most

commonly asked questions about officiating in this

pamphlet. We encourage you to sit down with an

athletic director, coach, or official that you might

know to gain more information about this

demanding and exciting avocation. Or, contact our

office for specific information regarding licensing

procedures. It might just be your way of staying

involved in athletics!

Who can become a

licensed sport official?

Participation in high school athletics does not have

to end with graduation. Any individual who is 18

years old or a high school graduate may become

licensed with the WIAA and officiate high school

contests. In addition, high school students who

become licensed, are allowed to officiate contests

up to and including the 9th grade level. In

addition, there is the opportunity for a high school

aged official to immediately advance to an L2

classification upon graduation and turning 18, if

they have been licensed for two years while in

high school.

I wasn’t a star athlete,

should I bother with

trying to officiate?

It certainly is not necessary to have been an

outstanding athlete to be a good official. It does

help to have participated in the sport you wish to

officiate and to have a basic understanding of the

rules of the game.

What does it take to

become a good official?

It takes a very thorough knowledge of the rules of

the sport, a love of athletics and kids, physical

ability, self-confidence, the dedication and

determination necessary to work hard, and

personal integrity. Athletes and

coaches look upon each contest as

the most important event

happening in their lives at that

moment. Officials must view each

contest the same way and react

accordingly. This avocation is not

for everyone, but you may find

this to be some of the most

rewarding work you will ever

experience.

How do I get games?

This varies greatly from sport to sport. Officials

need to write or call their local schools and

conference commissioners and let them know they

are licensed and interested in officiating. It is also

important to remember that in some sports (i.e.

basketball, football) it will take considerably

longer to be contracted for varsity

games. There are many officials

associations around the state that

will help new and veteran officials

improve so they can advance to

upper level games. Officials are

provided with a listing of these

officials associations and

conference commissioners upon

application with the

WIAA. They also are

available on the WIAA

website.

What are the benefits

of officiating?

Individuals may look at this in different ways, but

officials will often tell you they:

Want to give something back to the sport they

enjoy.

Want to stay involved in sport(s).

Enjoy the challenge of being in

a pressure-packed situation.

Learn how to make fair and firm

decisions and to accept

criticism.

Want the physical exercise.

Enjoy working with kids and

enjoy the opportunity to meet

people and make new friends.

Want to earn a little extra

money.

Where and how do I get:

Rules Books - Rules books will be provided when

we receive your license application and fees.

Insurance - The WIAA provides an accident

medical and general liability insurance program for

licensed officials.

Uniforms - Uniforms may be purchased at any

local sporting goods store or ordered from an

officials supply house.

Officiating Fees - Member schools and/or

conferences have established officiating fees

based on the level of the competition. Game

fees vary from conference to conference with